Asian Development Bank President Nakao Takehiko, at a press conference in Tokyo on March 25, expressed readiness to cooperate with the planned Chinese-backed Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. Naka…

Japanese people have loved onsen since ancient times for the comfort they bring to mind and body. We introduce the beauty benefits and anti-ageing effects offered by hot springs while examining the re…

Javier Castaño (@Xabel on Twitter) was born in Asturias, on the northern Spanish coast. Just before the turn of the century he moved south to the city of Malaga, where three years ago he started worki…

March 11, 2015, marked the fourth anniversary of the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. The government and the plant’s operator are focusing on removing radioactive substances, h…

A number of real animals take their English-language names from mythical creatures. Take Indonesia’s Komodo dragon, which drew comparisons to the fabled fiery lizard. And explorers called the blood-dr…

Sony used to be one of the world’s most innovative electronics makers. But over the past decade its fortunes have faded. In a bid to turn things around, the company launched a new three-year plan on F…

The new Hokuriku Shinkansen service linking Nagano and Kanazawa went into action on March 14. We present a map of the new lines, along with information on the various services and carriage types, and …

Japan’s university entrance exam system and high school education are on the verge of undergoing a large-scale reform. Factors driving the reform include changes in the university student selection pr…

On March 17, gaming giant Nintendo announced a business and capital tie-up with mobile gaming and e-commerce service operator DeNA. The deal should have a major impact on the gaming scene, at last bri…

Danish restaurant Noma has been named the world’s best restaurant four times in the last five years for chef René Redzepi’s innovative approach to cuisine. In early 2015, it opened a pop-up restaurant…

Asian Development Bank President Nakao Takehiko, at a press conference in Tokyo on March 25, expressed readiness to cooperate with the planned Chinese-backed Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. Naka…

For almost 20 years, administrations in Tokyo have struggled with the issue of relocating the US Marines Futenma air station in Okinawa. The plan to set up a replacement facility in Henoko has run int…

On January 27, a ceremony was held in Tokyo to announce the 2015 Global Appeal to End Stigma and Discrimination against People Affected by Leprosy. Prime Minister Abe Shinzō and other dignitaries pled…

The United Kingdom’s Prince William—the Duke of Cambridge, second in line to his country’s throne—was in Japan from February 26 to March 1 on a whistle-stop tour that was equal parts tradition and tec…

Successive catastrophes in 1995 shocked Japan as the deadliest earthquake in decades was followed by unprecedented sarin gas attacks on the Tokyo subway. Media sociologist Takeda Tōru examines how Jap…

Prime Minister Abe Shinzō responds to the execution of Gotō Kenji by the Islamic State, Javier Aguirre is fired as national coach of the men’s soccer team, and Nishikawa Kōya resigns as agriculture mi…

The third Abe cabinet, formed after a landslide victory for the Liberal Democratic Party in the December 2014 election, has embarked on a wide range of economic policies. Over the short term, the key …

There has been an explosive increase in the number of think tanks around the world over the last few decades. Yet, although it still has some important bodies, Japan’s institutes are becoming less inf…

In what is seen by some as a landmark ruling for Japan’s LGBT community, the city government of Shibuya, Tokyo, last week outlined plans to issue same-sex couples with a certificate recognizing their …

Raising Japan’s trend growth rate will require the steady implementation of growth strategies, the third arrow in the Abenomics quiver. But policies touted as growth strategies often serve only to pro…

The postwar Japanese “miracle” has lost much of its luster since the 1990s, when the economy fell into a protracted post-bubble slump. Okazaki Tetsuji offers a fresh historical perspective on the stru…

Okada Katsuya was elected the new leader of the Democratic Party of Japan in January. He now faces the daunting task of rebuilding the DPJ as a viable alternative to the Liberal Democratic Party. This…

In addition to being the seventieth anniversary of the end of World War II, 2015 marks the fiftieth anniversary of the normalization of ties between Japan and South Korea. The half century since 1965 …

Asian Development Bank President Nakao Takehiko, at a press conference in Tokyo on March 25, expressed readiness to cooperate with the planned Chinese-backed Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. Naka…

Japanese people have loved onsen since ancient times for the comfort they bring to mind and body. We introduce the beauty benefits and anti-ageing effects offered by hot springs while examining the re…

Sony used to be one of the world’s most innovative electronics makers. But over the past decade its fortunes have faded. In a bid to turn things around, the company launched a new three-year plan on F…

On March 17, gaming giant Nintendo announced a business and capital tie-up with mobile gaming and e-commerce service operator DeNA. The deal should have a major impact on the gaming scene, at last bri…

Prime Minister Abe Shinzō responds to the execution of Gotō Kenji by the Islamic State, Javier Aguirre is fired as national coach of the men’s soccer team, and Nishikawa Kōya resigns as agriculture mi…

Japan's stock markets have had a difficult time recovering since the collapse of the bubble economy. Abenomics has produced an upward trajectory for share prices, but it is still unclear whether it wi…

The third Abe cabinet, formed after a landslide victory for the Liberal Democratic Party in the December 2014 election, has embarked on a wide range of economic policies. Over the short term, the key …

Over 13 million foreign tourists visited Japan in 2014, setting a new record. During their stay, these visitors spent a total of more than ¥2 trillion. The recent rise in the number of foreigners visi…

There has been an explosive increase in the number of think tanks around the world over the last few decades. Yet, although it still has some important bodies, Japan’s institutes are becoming less inf…

Prime Minister Abe’s commitment to fiscal retrenchment has come under question since his cabinet delayed a planned tax hike and approved the biggest budget in history. While the government claims to h…

Raising Japan’s trend growth rate will require the steady implementation of growth strategies, the third arrow in the Abenomics quiver. But policies touted as growth strategies often serve only to pro…

The postwar Japanese “miracle” has lost much of its luster since the 1990s, when the economy fell into a protracted post-bubble slump. Okazaki Tetsuji offers a fresh historical perspective on the stru…

Prime Minister Abe Shinzō visits the Middle East, mourners mark the twentieth anniversary of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, and the extremist group Islamic State kills two Japanese hostages. Thes…

A small island township of just 2,300 residents off the Shimane coast is often cited as a standout example of regional revival. How has Ama, once a depopulated hamlet facing bankruptcy, been able to r…

March 11, 2015, marked the fourth anniversary of the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. The government and the plant’s operator are focusing on removing radioactive substances, h…

Winter is the season of university entrance exams in Japan. It is a time of trepidation not only for the students but also for the universities, which today face the problem of population decline. The…

The Japanese word origami has long been part of the global lexicon, and this traditional paper-folding craft is now being applied to new uses in fields ranging from outer space to inside the human bod…

Prime Minister Abe Shinzō responds to the execution of Gotō Kenji by the Islamic State, Javier Aguirre is fired as national coach of the men’s soccer team, and Nishikawa Kōya resigns as agriculture mi…

Professor Amano Hiroshi, one of the three winners of the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physics for the invention of efficient blue light-emitting diodes, spoke to a packed audience at the Foreign Press Center/J…

Prime Minister Abe Shinzō visits the Middle East, mourners mark the twentieth anniversary of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, and the extremist group Islamic State kills two Japanese hostages. Thes…

Lingerie today is about more than just showing off a shapely figure. More and more women are looking for undergarments that also bring health benefits, such as improving posture. Japanese manufacturer…

Abe Shinzō is reelected as prime minister, Hayabusa 2 sets off on a mission to collect asteroid samples, and Toyota launches the world’s first mass-market fuel cell vehicle. An overview of the key new…

Average global temperatures have stabilized since the turn of the millennium, but this does not mean global warming has come to a halt. Latest geophysical research reveals that heat is being absorbed …

On December 3, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) successfully launched the Hayabusa 2 probe on a Japanese H-IIA rocket from the Tanegashima Space Center. Like its predecessor Hayabusa, the…

How can the wealth of clinical data being amassed at hospitals across Japan every day be effectively analyzed and harnessed to improve the quality of medical care and cut medical costs? Journalist Tsu…

Prime Minister Abe Shinzō calls a general election, the first meeting between Japanese and Chinese leaders for over two years takes place, and film star Takakura Ken passes away. These are the top new…

Japanese people have loved onsen since ancient times for the comfort they bring to mind and body. We introduce the beauty benefits and anti-ageing effects offered by hot springs while examining the re…

Javier Castaño (@Xabel on Twitter) was born in Asturias, on the northern Spanish coast. Just before the turn of the century he moved south to the city of Malaga, where three years ago he started worki…

March 11, 2015, marked the fourth anniversary of the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. The government and the plant’s operator are focusing on removing radioactive substances, h…

The new Hokuriku Shinkansen service linking Nagano and Kanazawa went into action on March 14. We present a map of the new lines, along with information on the various services and carriage types, and …

Japan’s university entrance exam system and high school education are on the verge of undergoing a large-scale reform. Factors driving the reform include changes in the university student selection pr…

Winter is the season of university entrance exams in Japan. It is a time of trepidation not only for the students but also for the universities, which today face the problem of population decline. The…

In the second part of his exploration of the tsunami-stricken communities of the Tōhoku coast, photographer Wada Naoki visits Kesennuma in Iwate and Minamisanriku and Onagawa in Miyagi, gauging how fa…

The tsunami generated by the 9.0-magnitude offshore earthquake on March 11, 2011, battered the Sanriku coastline hardest of all. Photographer Wada Naoki has been visiting Sanriku communities since soo…

The city of Rikuzentakata lost almost a tenth of its population to the earthquake and tsunami of March 2011. The city’s lone surviving museum curator tells of the struggle to rescue the cultural prope…

Wasanbon sugar grown in Shikoku is an essential ingredient in Japanese sweets. Its faint aroma and gentle sweetness help to give wagashi a distinctive taste. Visitors to Hattori Sugar Refinery in Toku…

Aizome textiles, prized by the Sengoku samurai for their hygienic benefits as well as their beautiful "Japan blue" color, are the product of a complex and time-consuming process in which human know-ho…

For almost 20 years, administrations in Tokyo have struggled with the issue of relocating the US Marines Futenma air station in Okinawa. The plan to set up a replacement facility in Henoko has run int…

Japanese people have loved onsen since ancient times for the comfort they bring to mind and body. We introduce the beauty benefits and anti-ageing effects offered by hot springs while examining the re…

A number of real animals take their English-language names from mythical creatures. Take Indonesia’s Komodo dragon, which drew comparisons to the fabled fiery lizard. And explorers called the blood-dr…

Japan’s university entrance exam system and high school education are on the verge of undergoing a large-scale reform. Factors driving the reform include changes in the university student selection pr…

Danish restaurant Noma has been named the world’s best restaurant four times in the last five years for chef René Redzepi’s innovative approach to cuisine. In early 2015, it opened a pop-up restaurant…

The Japanese word origami has long been part of the global lexicon, and this traditional paper-folding craft is now being applied to new uses in fields ranging from outer space to inside the human bod…

The city of Rikuzentakata lost almost a tenth of its population to the earthquake and tsunami of March 2011. The city’s lone surviving museum curator tells of the struggle to rescue the cultural prope…

Wasanbon sugar grown in Shikoku is an essential ingredient in Japanese sweets. Its faint aroma and gentle sweetness help to give wagashi a distinctive taste. Visitors to Hattori Sugar Refinery in Toku…

Aizome textiles, prized by the Sengoku samurai for their hygienic benefits as well as their beautiful "Japan blue" color, are the product of a complex and time-consuming process in which human know-ho…

There is a diverse range of wildlife across Japan’s great geographical sweep, from brown bears and white-tailed eagles in Hokkaidō to coconut crabs and habu snakes in Okinawa. Foxes and tanuki are fam…

Prime Minister Abe Shinzō responds to the execution of Gotō Kenji by the Islamic State, Javier Aguirre is fired as national coach of the men’s soccer team, and Nishikawa Kōya resigns as agriculture mi…

Hinamatsuri, or the doll festival, is observed on March 3 to celebrate female children and pray for their continued health and happiness. During the holiday, also known as momo no sekku (peach festiva…

According to one 2010 survey, Japan is home to the world's highest density of cafes and restaurants, with one such establishment for every 216 citizens (as opposed to one per 547 in the United States)…

Abe Shinzō is reelected as prime minister, Hayabusa 2 sets off on a mission to collect asteroid samples, and Toyota launches the world’s first mass-market fuel cell vehicle. An overview of the key new…

Japan’s castles, mainly built by powerful regional leaders in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth century, are among the country’s top tourist attractions. In this collection, photographer Yamash…

December 31 is arguably one of the most significant dates on the Japanese calendar. Known as ōmisoka, it encompasses a range of special customs and observances, both traditional and modern, intended t…

All you need is hot water and a few seconds to turn a compact block of freeze-dried food into a savory dish of stew, curry, or risotto. The Japanese company Amano Foods has been at the forefront of fr…

The number of Japanese eels has been dropping steadily, leading to rising prices. Roswell Hosoki, creator of a manga series on eel cuisine, shares his thoughts on this problem, while also explaining m…

How can the wealth of clinical data being amassed at hospitals across Japan every day be effectively analyzed and harnessed to improve the quality of medical care and cut medical costs? Journalist Tsu…

Starting in the 1950s, professional wrestling, or puroresu, enjoyed popularity on a par with Japan’s other top sports of baseball and sumō. Fans would gather around televisions to watch bouts featurin…

Prime Minister Abe Shinzō calls a general election, the first meeting between Japanese and Chinese leaders for over two years takes place, and film star Takakura Ken passes away. These are the top new…

Today the publisher Jiyū Kokumin Sha announced its picks for the “Words of 2014.” Two terms shared the top prize this year: Dame yo. Dame dame, a “No way. No, no” phrase that catapulted comedy duo Nip…

Chocolate and Western-style confections are very popular in Japan, but the nation has its own traditional treats to satisfy your sweet tooth. Here are five desserts you might want to try next time you…

For three decades now, an annual ritual has seen the year’s most popular Japanese buzzwords compiled into a list by the publisher Jiyū Kokumin Sha. The long list for 2014 was announced last week. Look…

Walk down the street or ride a train in Japan, and you will often see a heart-shaped keychain bearing the image of a mother and baby dangling from a woman’s bag. Known as a maternity mark, this simple…